Silk Paint Instructions
How To Use Silk Paint Plus
Colourcraft silk paint plus is available in a range of vibrant, intermixable colours.
Colourcraft silk paints are water-based and non-toxic.
Colourcraft silk paints work beautifully not only on silk but also on fine cotton,
polyester and most synthetic fabrics.
Colourcraft silk paints are easy to use and ideal for creating designs on scarves, cards, clothing, wall plaques, lampshades etc.
Apply with brush, sponge brush, spray bottle, airbrush, dropper or cotton wool.
After heat fixing, Colourcraft silk paints are permanent, machine washable, dry cleanable and soft to the touch.
Instructions
Before you begin painting, wash the fabric in order to remove manufacturers finishes. Press dry. The silk needs to be stretched as tightly as possible over a frame. If your project is small, an embroidery hoop will suffice. In order to ensure even tension, attach silk to frame with silk pins or tempered drawing pins placed opposite each other. Shake the silk paints well prior to use.
Resist Design
Items that are already prepared with a gutta design can be a good way of starting silk painting. However, if you are ready to go ahead with your own design, place it underneath the silk. When working on silk, it is usually transparent enough to enable you to see through and trace the design onto the silk using a pencil or embroiderer’s transfer pen.
Colourcraft Gutta is available in both clear and colours. The clear washes away but the colours are permanent. Gutta design work is not suitable for bulky or heavy fabrics.
Apply gutta to the fabric being careful not to leave any gaps which could ruin your carefully painted design and leave to dry for approximately 30 minutes. This process can be speeded up by using a hairdryer.
Before beginning to paint, test that there are no gaps in your gutta outline by using a paintbrush to wet each area of your design in turn, if there are gaps in the gutta, water will escape into adjacent areas. Wait a few minutes until the silk is dry and then repair with gutta. When the gutta is dry, re-test.
Apply the silk paint sparingly starting in the centre of the section. Allow the colour to bleed to the gutta line.
Leave the design to dry thoroughly. To heat fix, place a cotton cloth over the reverse of the design and use a hot iron for 3 – 4 minutes. Alternatively, wrap the design in foil and place in a pre-heated oven for 4 – 5 minutes at 150°C To remove clear gutta, soak the fabric in lukewarm water. Coloured Gutta stays in the fabric to give an outline effect.
Painting
When silk paint is used without Gutta outlines, it spreads when it comes into contact with the fabric.
Interesting effects can be created in this way by letting the colours merge together. To increase this effect, pre-dampen the fabric prior to carrying out your design. To create lighter areas, apply paint and then stroke the coloured area with a large wet brush, wet sponge or wet cotton ball. Try sprinkling dry, coarse salt over your work whilst the paint is still wet for mottled, swirl effects. Allow the paint to completely dry before carefully removing the salt.
Thickener
This clear thickener prevents the paint from spreading as it stays on the surface of rather than penetrating the fabric. The fabric will not feel as soft after this technique has been used.
Colourcraft Silk Painting Supplies Available
Silk paints Gutta outliners – clear and coloured Pencil Silk painting brushes (synthetic watercolour brush) Silk paint palette Pipette Plastic bottle with nozzle Thickener Pure Vacuum Dried Salt
